Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus

• US 5,967,985 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fukuda Denshi Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,517
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 600/440, 600/443, 600/447, 600/459, 600/464, 600/461, 600/471
• US Class Current: 600/440
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52085 Details related to the ultrasound signal acquisition, e.g. scan sequences control of medical diagnostic ultrasound devices A61B8/54

Abstract

There is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted into the subject, the ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject are received to obtain received signals, and an image is produced in accordance with the received signals thus obtained, and particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of guiding a puncture needle to be introduced into the subject. Of a scanning area formed with a number of scanning lines scanned by ultrasonic waves, within the subject, a first area including a part or a whole of a passage of a puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area, and

wherein said guide member is detachably loaded onto said main frame, said ultrasonic probe has a sensor for detecting whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and said transmit-receive unit is switched in an operation mode between the first transmit-receive mode and the second transmit-receive mode according as a loading of said guide member onto said main frame is detected by said sensor or not.

2. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor detects whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and in addition identifies a type of the guide member loaded onto the main frame, and

said transmit-receive unit sets up the first area in accordance with the type of the guide member.

3. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of the first transmit-receive mode, and

wherein said guide member is detachably loaded onto said main frame, said ultrasonic probe has a sensor for detecting whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and said transmit-receive unit is switched in an operation mode between the first transmit-receive mode and the second transmit-receive mode according as a loading of said guide member onto said main frame is detected by said sensor or not.

4. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sensor detects whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and in addition identifies a type of the guide member loaded onto the main frame, and

said transmit-receive unit sets up the first area in accordance with the type of the guide member.

5. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area, and

wherein said image producing unit has a function of superimposing a figure representative of the passage of the puncture needle on an image based on the received signal, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a figure superimposing selection handler for performing a selection as to whether the figure is to be superimposed on the image, and said transmit-receive unit is switched in an operation mode between the first transmit-receive mode and the second transmit-receive mode according as said figure superimposing selection handler selects a state that the figure is to be superimposed on the image, or not.

6. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of the first transmit-receive mode, and

wherein said image producing unit has a function of superimposing a figure representative of the passage of the puncture needle on an image based on the received signal, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a figure superimposing selection handler for performing a selection as to whether the figure is to be superimposed on the image, and said transmit-receive unit is switched in an operation mode between the first transmit-receive mode and the second transmit-receive mode according as said figure superimposing selection handler selects a state that the figure is to be superimposed on the image, or not.

7. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image, and

wherein said guide member is detachably loaded onto said main frame, said ultrasonic probe has a sensor for detecting whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and said image producing unit is switched in an operation mode between the first image producing mode and the second image producing mode according as a loading of said guide member onto said main frame is detected by said sensor or not.

8. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of the first transmit-receive mode,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image,

wherein said guide member is detachably loaded onto said main frame, said ultrasonic probe has a sensor for detecting whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and said image producing unit is switched in an operation mode between the first image producing mode and the second image producing mode according as a loading of said guide member onto said main frame is detected by said sensor or not.

9. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image, and

wherein said sensor detects whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and in addition identifies a type of the guide member loaded onto the main frame, and said image producing unit sets up the enlarged area in accordance with the type of the guide member.

10. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of the first transmit-receive mode,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image, and

wherein said sensor detects whether said guide member is loaded onto said main frame, and in addition identifies a type of the guide member loaded onto the main frame, and said image producing unit sets up the enlarged area in accordance with the type of the guide member.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of a second area, excepting the first area, of said scanning area,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image, and

wherein said image producing unit has a function of superimposing a figure representative of the passage of the puncture needle on an image based on the received signal, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a figure superimposing selection handler for performing a selection as to whether the figure is to be superimposed on the image, and said image producing unit is switched in an operation mode between the first image producing mode and the second image producing mode according as said figure superimposing selection handler selects a state that the figure is to be superimposed on the image, or not.

12. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus in which transmission and reception of ultrasonic beams along a plurality of scanning lines extending to an inside of a subject are repeatedly performed to scan the inside of the subject, and an image on a scanning area defined by the plurality of scanning lines is produced in accordance with a received signal obtained by the scanning, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe having a main frame having at least one ultrasonic transducer put to the subject to perform transmission of ultrasonic waves into the subject and reception of ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject, and a guide member for guiding a puncture needle introduced into the subject;

a transmit-receive unit for driving said at least one ultrasonic transducer to sequentially generate ultrasonic waves travelling along the plurality of scanning lines, and deriving received signals by means of receiving by said at least one ultrasonic transducer ultrasonic waves reflected within the subject and returned to said at least one ultrasonic transducer; and

an image producing unit for producing an image based on the received signal,

wherein said transmit-receive unit has a first transmit-receive mode in which said scanning area is scanned with a predetermined scanning density, and a second transmit-receive mode in which, of said scanning area, a predetermined first area including a part or a whole of a passage of the puncture needle is scanned with a scanning density higher than that of the first transmit-receive mode,

wherein said image producing unit has a first image producing mode for producing a first image representative of the whole area of said scanning area, and a second image producing mode for producing a second image representative of an enlarged area consisting of a partial area including at least part of the passage of the puncture needle, of said scanning area, or an enlarged area consisting of the whole area of said scanning area, a size per unit area within the subject of the second image being enlarged more than the first image, and

wherein said image producing unit has a function of superimposing a figure representative of the passage of the puncture needle on an image based on the received signal, said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a figure superimposing selection handler for performing a selection as to whether the figure is to be superimposed on the image, and said image producing unit is switched in an operation mode between the first image producing mode and the second image producing mode according as said figure superimposing selection handler selects a state that the figure is to be superimposed on the image, or not.